OVERVIEW OF THE ERUPTION OF SOUFRIERE HILLS VOLCANO, MONTSERRAT, 18 JULY 1995 TO DECEMBER 1997

The onset of phreatic volcanic activity at the Soufriere Hills volcano , Montserrat on 18 July 1995 followed a three-year period of heightene d volcano-seismic activity beneath the island. Phreatic explosions gav e way to continuous eruption of juvenile andesitic magma in the form o f a lava dome on or around 15 November 1995. Magma production rate has varied, leading to changes in eruptive style. An explosive eruption o n 17 September 1996 followed a period of enhanced dome growth and larg e-scale gravitational collapses from its eastern flank. Increasing dom e volume led to stressing and overtopping of the confining crater wall s to the southwest, north and west during early 1997. Sustained high m agma production rate since June 1997 has led to three periods of major gravitational dome collapses followed by vulcanian explosive eruption s. Dome growth re-started immediately after the cessation of the lates t of these explosive phases in October 1997 and continues as of Decemb er 1997.